February 2, 2007
Where to go?
Blog reader Paul from Madison Wisconson asks, "If you could go anywhere in the world right now. Where would you go? Your budget is $1600. This is really a way of asking where should I go. I want to travel to the type of places you've been and I want to travel around for about a month. I'm into mountains but not mountaineering."
Hmm. The place that immediately came to mind is Leh in India. It will be around $1100 to get yourself to Dehli ($800 direct from NY). From there you get to Leh by bus and as long as you stay in backpacker type places your costs are minimal. The journey up to Leh is an adventure in itself, Leh is spectacular, and then from Leh you could take a bus to Kulu Manali and then back down to Dehli. I haven't scanned my negatives from Leh, but the snapshot above taken a few blocks from the bus station might give you a sense of the lost in time feel of the place... There are great day treks from Leh in all in all directions and the road to Manali is is flanked by some of the most spectacular mountain ranges in the world. I'm getting itchy feet just thinking about it.
to this site
02/02/07 03:33 PM
Lane said...
I agree, Ladakh is a fantastic area to visit. Altitude sickness was a bit of a factor for me in the first few days, but I was fortunate enough to stay for a month so it wasn't a big deal.
In case Paul reads the comments, here are some of my images from that area:
http://www.lanecollins.com/galleries/ladakh
I'm actually starting on a real edit of these currently, which I never had time to do while I was in school (ironically)... so I'll be posting more.
Also, if you do go, make sure you get a window seat on the short flight from Delhi to Leh. Flying into the Himalayas and the spiraling descent to land are some of the best aerial views you'll ever see.
There is so much to do in the area... I definitely plan to go back someday.
02/04/07 03:28 PM
drowsy said...
I'd also recommend our friendly southern neighbors, particularly around Mexico City and Chiapas. Cheap plane flights ($350) and much close to home.
A great time to visit for some unique photographs is during Dia de la Muerte.
Where ever you go, get off the beaten track and dig in with the locals.
02/09/07 09:38 PM
pesta said...
that's a good choice.and here's the road to leh from manali.
02/10/07 11:46 AM
raul said...
and here are some shots of manali to leh, but trekking through the mountains...
03/10/07 02:47 AM
robin said...
I've always wanted to go; there's a passage in Isabella Bird's travelogue about it from Among The Tibetans, skip her xenophobia but her descriptions are lovely: http://etext.library.adelaide.edu.au/b/bird/isabella/tibet/chapter2.html
of course that was well over a hundred years ago!